Tobacco stringers



July 31, 1962 R. G. BYRD ET AL TOBACCO STRINGERS Filed Nov. 2, 1959 ma DD WW maaJ M 5g YMGM 0A0 .7 w 5 1 m 2! 7L. L f 5 w 2 4 5 m 4 7 v 2 2 United States PatentOfilice smarts Patented July 31, 1962 3,047,168 TUBA-136 STRENGERS Roy G. Byrd, James B. Byrd, and Edgar .l. Byrd, Norman Park, Ga, assignors of forty-nine percent to K. Wilson Corder, Atlanta, Ga.

Filed Nov. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 850,499 7 Claims. (Cl. 214-55) This invention relates to agriculture and the tobacco industry, and more particularly, to a new and improved Stringless Tobacco Stringer for use in drying or curing long leaf and other tobaccos preparatory to presenting such for sale in the market places.

The present system, and one that has been in almost universal use for generations, embodies the cutting of the tobacco leaves at harvest time, and then securing them to so-called sticks upon which they are placed on poles in sheds or barns where they are cured before removal and transportation to centrally located markets Where the product is sold to the familiar chant of the tobacco auctioneer. The securing process embraces the use of strings or cords which are wound around the stems of selected bunches of leaves, and then spacedly anchoring the leaves to the sticks. After curing, the strings are cut or otherwise removed, the tobacco grouped in larger bundles and thence taken to market.

All of this involves a tedious, time consuming, labor and material wasteful operation. In fact, harvest time is dreaded by everyone on tobacco farms from women to children to anyone who can be pressed into the labor of stringing tobacco, and it is with the elimination of all of this that this invention is largely concerned.

An object of the invention is to provide a stringless tobacco stringer, which avoids the use of strings entirely, and hence avoids considerable economic waste at this point.

Another object is to reduce handling of the leaf, thereby not only cutting down the labor involved, but also avoiding bruising, breakage, and other hazards that reduce the quality of the product and hence the price received atmarket.

Another object is to provide automatic tension in a tobacco stick, thereby compensating for shrinkage of the stems of the leaves during drying, and avoiding dropping oif, loss of weight, and other undesirable factors.

A still further object is to make possible almost immediate release of the cured leaves to the floor at the proper time, and avoiding the tedious string cutting with its attendant labor, loss of product and the like.

Another object is to provide cheapness of construction in a device of the instant type.

Another object is to provide simplicity and ease of manufacture and maintenance of such a device.

Another object is to provide a tobacco stringer that can be easily mechanized when the art progresses and develops to a point warranting this.

These and other objects make apparent during the further progress of this specification are accomplished by means of the instant invention, a full and complete understanding of which is facilitated by reference to the drawing herein, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the device in assembled or operating position;

FIG. 2 is an end view, partially distorted to bette show the operating lever on the front of the device, illustrating in detail the operating of said stringer;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the sticks of the device in closed position; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but illustrating a filling operation during which the sticks have been expanded and tobacco leaves are being placed therebetween.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a table or other suitable working surface of a size and height for handling thetobacco sticks. Fixedly mounted in spaced relationship on one side of 10 is a plurality of off-set stud members 11, having protruding points or stick engaging surfaces 11a, the function and operation of which will be made clear during the further progress of this specification.

Mounted opposite to elements 11 and in spaced relationship thereto are a second series of L-shaped studs 12, to the tops of which are pivotally mounted as at 13, a plurality of booms 14, which are equipped with pointed snoots 15. Each of said booms is actuated by means of a cable 16, which in the case of the outside or end members is passed around a small pulley 1'7, and thence to an operating lever 18,. pivoted as at 19. A stop or guide member 20 is placed on the table at a point to limit the.

Formed on the inner or leaf-engaging surfaces of 21 and 22 are a plurality of notches or apertures 24 and 25, preferably disposed directly opposite one another.

The operation of the instant stringless tobacco stringer is as follows: A composite stick 21-2223 is placed on table it in such a manner that the apertures 24 of lower section 21 are engaged by the ends 11a of studs 11, this adjustment being elfected almost instantaneously through means of stop element 29 which places the end of 21 in an exact position for being thus secured. At the same time, the snoots 15 of boom members 14 are positioned in the apertures 25 of upper stick member 22. Lever 18 is now pulled outwardly, thereby exerting tension and pull on cables 16, and resulting in boom members 14 being ele vated through pivoting around points 13; this in turn raising member 22 and spreading the two principal elements of the stick apart.

Leaf tobacco is now inserted in desired spaced relationship along the inner-upper edge of 21, the stems of said leaves 26 being placed in this position as is shown by FIG. 4 of the drawing; and upon full loading, the lever is reversed, which results in the immediate closing of the sticks and clamping of the tobacco now situated between the two portions thereof, spring steel elements 23 being instrumental in this action. The stick may now be re-' moved from the working surface and placed on poles in a curing shed or barn. Coil springs 27 maintain boom elements 14 in a normally lowered position ready to receive the next stick, as described heretofore.

When the tobacco is cured, it may be instantly dumped on the floor by simply expanding elements 21 and 22, upon which the stickis ready for repeated use. t

From the foregoing it is believed that the advantages in labor saving, elimination of materials, improvement of product, and other benefits will be readily apparent to those familiar with the tobacco industry and particularly the farming end thereof. While there has been described in considerable detail herein one form of the instant invention, no limitation is intended thereby, it being apparent that certain changes, alterations, revisions, additions, subtractions and other modifications may be resorted to without departing from the inventive concept or the scope of the appended claims, which are to be given a construction fairly in keeping with the contribution to the art.

We claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a working sur face, a plurality of offset tobacco stick holders spacedly and fixedly mounted thereon, L-shaped upright studs positioned opposite said holders, Scimitar-like booms pivoted to said studs adjacent the tops thereof, needle-shoots formed integral with the ends of said booms opposite said holders, cable actuating means connecting with the opposite ends of the booms, an operating lever for said cables, a pair of tobacco sticks, spaced tension springs, holding said sticks together, lower and upper notches formed in said sticks in their inner faces, the lower notches being engageable by the holders, and the upper notches engageable by the snoots of the booms, whereby upon actuation the operating lever to put the cables under progressive tension, the snoot ends of the booms are rocked upwardly, exerting a spreading action on the sticks to permit loading thereof with loose leaf tobacco.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the under side of the working surface is provided with a plurality of pulleys for engaging the boom operating cables and thereby smoothing and coordinating the operating of such.

3. The device of claim 1 in which a stop element is placed on the working surface, acting as a guide for aligning the holes or notches of the tobacco sticks with the stick holders and boom ends.

4. In a device of the character described, a table, a plurality of tobacco stick holders spacedly mounted thereon, upright studs positioned opposite said holders, booms pivoted to said studs, penetrating snoots formed on the ends of said booms nearest said holders, boom actuating means connecting with the opposite ends of the booms; a pair of tobacco sticks held together in closed position by tension means, spaced lower and upper notches formed in said sticks in the inner faces thereof, the lower notches thus formed being engaged by said holders, and the upper notches by the snoots of the booms; whereby when the boom actuating means are operated, the snoot ends thereof are rocked upwardly, exerting a spreading action on the sticks to permit loading thereof with the butt ends of tobacco leaves.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the tension on the tobacco sticks is made uniform throughout the length thereof.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the boom elements are provided with tension springs connecting such with the L-shaped upright studs of the working table.

7. The device of claim 4 in which release of the boom actuating means results in the immediate and automatic return of the tobacco sticks to their original closed posiion, firmly grasping and holding all tobacco leaves placed therebetween while open.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 721,615 Smith Feb. 24, 1903 2,494,379 Droemer Jan. 10, 1950 2,656,049 Guyette Oct. 20, 1953 2,709,103 Tillman May 24, 1955 

